How to Play Pokemon Go with the Best Tips on Winning

Monday, July 18, 2016

Everything you wanted to know about Pokemon Go!

Are you playing Pokemon Go?

Or are you like me and don't even know what the game is all about? I remember Pokemon being a tradingcard game and then a video game that became popular when my children were little. I was just as surprised as everyone when all of a sudden Pokemon was back in the news and it seems to be even more popular this time. I asked my daughter, Olivia, to write today's post and to give some insight into exactly what this latest craze is that is sweeping across the country. She is going to help us all understand how to best play the game and maybe even share some tips on winning!

As much as I loved growing up in the church, there were certain things that people didn’t think Christians should be partaking in, like bowling, going to the movie theater, or watching certain television shows. Growing up my parents had a list of television shows my brother and I couldn’t watch and Pokemon was right at the top of the list written by the same person that is having me write today's post. Yes, I'll let that sink in for a moment.

I’m about 23 years behind on the trend and just downloaded Pokemon Go! to my phone last week in order to start my late-in-life Pokemon adventure!

If you were into the
show or are still into it, the game should be easy to understand, unless you
were like me and never played it before.
It took some time for me to figure out exactly how to play and my mom thought it would be great for me to explain it to everyone. The first
thing you need to learn are all the terms and phrases associated with playing the game.

Understanding the Pokemon Terms

Pokéstops– are businesses in real life that
contain items you need to play the game are stored in these blue supply stores,
located all over your area. (game developers said every church and McDonald’s
is a pokestop) Lately, my husband and I have been deciding where we'll eat
lunch or shop for groceries based on if the business is a pokestop. When the
pokestop is in range, the blue cube on your mobile device or phone will turn
into a spinning disc that you can tap when you visit to collect your pokeballs,
eggs, and other hidden treats.

Pokéballs – these are the red and white balls that
are used to catch Pokémon and build your team.

Incense and Lure Modules – you can use these items to
attract more Pokémon to your location. At the start, it is vital to build a large
team that you can then use to battle or trade for goodies further into the
game.

Gyms – once your avatar reaches
level five, you are allowed to compete and even take over the gyms. They are
located at different landmarks, like parks and other recreational areas. These are where the battles between players and
their captured Pokémon take place.

Pokemon - these are the little creatures you
catch and collect are stored in an inventory for you to evolve and use for
battle. Pokémon come in a variety of shapes and sizes; there are over 100 types
of Pokémon available for players to capture.
You'll find creatures of electric, fire, fairy, grass, water, ghost,
rock, bug, and many more types in the game.

Candy and Stardust – it's best to think of these as supplements
in order to evolve your Pokemon into bigger and stronger ones. Each creature comes
with candy that when you catch them are specific to individual species of
Pokémon. This means Pidgeys can only consume candy acquired from capturing a
Pidgey, and so on. Capturing multiple Pokémon of the same breed will help you
gather more candy to evolve and make stronger Pokemon.

Eggs – are usually found at pokestops
and are used to hatch new Pokemon. Eggs have a certain amount of kilometers for
the player to walk before it hatches (2km, 5km, 10km, etc.).

Footprints – you use the footprint guides in
the 'Nearby' menu to navigate to rarer Pokémon. Three footprints means the
creature is further away. One set means you’re almost there and no footprints
means you're very close.

Now you're up to speed with the
phrases, here are a few tips on how best to play Pokémon Go if you’re just
starting out...

The Goal

The
goal of the game is the same goal of the show or card game which is to catch
all the Pokemon and to have the strongest. The Pokemon Go game is doing what no
phone app game has done before and is encouraging everyone to get outside and
be active. Get a group of friends together and travel your city to see what
cool Pokemon you’ll find!

Portland, OR

Travel, travel, travel

Depending
on where you live, different Pokemon will appear and rotate so you always have
new Pokemon. The farther you are from where you started the game or made an
account, the more rare the Pokemon will be which encourages people to explore
new places out of their comfort zone. Many gamers say there are many hidden
rare Pokémon in areas which are harder to reach like; mountains, forests, or
big parks in order to encourage people to get out of their own neighborhood and
start exploring the rest of the town!

Deer Island, Portland, OR

Keep Moving!

Walking is a very
important part of the game; the more you walk, the more Pokemon you’ll find and
the more kilometers you have towards hatching your eggs! We did some testing
and found out your steps don’t count in Pokemon if you are traveling over
14km/h or 9mph in order to prevent people from doing anything distracting while
driving.

Use Caution

As
fun as the game is, it’s always important to be careful and smart about your
surroundings. Always go with a group, especially when you don’t know the area
too well.

Whether you were into Pokemon as a child
or not, I recommend everyone try Pokemon Go! It’s a great way to meet new
people, bond with old friends, and enjoy the beauty nature has to offer!
Yesterday there was a big Pokemon battle/meetup in downtown Portland, Oregon,
where I live. Hundreds of Pokemon users
came, collected and conquered! There is always something to do or someone new
to meet with Pokemon Go!